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When you have the likely (it feels that way) MVP quarterbacking the offense, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this game isn’t about just one player. Yes, Drake Maye is the most important, but to quote the old QB’s then-bride (shoutout, Gisele Bundchen), “my husband cannot throw and catch the ball at the same time.”
Super G could have also included the run game in her epic post-Super Bowl rant. And if the Patriots are to make a deep postseason run, a little more offensive balance would be helpful.
To that end, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels sees signs that his group is closer to achieving that than at any point this season.
“I think we're always trying to improve it, and we've made progress, definitely,” he told us on Thursday. “I think that there are no shortcuts to doing that. But I definitely think we're in a better place now than we've been at. And that's all 11 guys on the field doing their job the right way, and again, we've stayed at it, the guys up front, the coaches...they've done a really good job of emphasizing the things we need to do to get better in that area.
“We want to be balanced. We know where we play. And when the weather gets a little crazy, every once in a while, you're going to need to be able to turn to hand the ball to the back and block people and run the ball when they know you got to run it and that you want to run it. So I'm excited for the progress that we've made, and look forward to us trying to continue to improve that area of our game also.”
That the run game has gotten better with left tackle Will Campbell sidelined for four games with that knee injury (he should be back this weekend) and also was missing Jared Wilson this past weekend speaks a lot to the work done by veteran backup Vederian Lowe in particular (Ben Brown struggled for a half in Jersey), and the coaching staff, as McDaniels mentioned.
But there’s also been the reemergence of Rhamondre Stevenson. Over the first 10 games of the season, he averaged just 32.4 yards per game on 3.2 yards per carry (certainly not all on him, as McDaniels referenced “all 11”. The early-season fumbles, however, also impacted the confidence with which Stevenson ran.
But since returning from the toe injury, the veteran back has been a different player. Stevenson is almost always making the first defender miss, sees the field well, and finishes his runs. The numbers back up the eye test. Over his last three games, Stevenson is averaging 49.3 YPG and 6.7 YPC. He’s also scored as many touchdowns (3) as he did over his first 10 games.
“I think me, TreVeyon (Henderson), just the backs, the O-line are just merging together and on the right track right now,” Stevenson said. “We're running hard, running behind our line. Jack (Westover) is doing a good job blocking for us, and you know, it's just going our way.”
Henderson remains inconsistent with his vision but is a big-play waiting to happen (he had runs of 16 and 17 against the Jets). It’s given the Pats an additional home run threat that, on occasion, has given Maye additional support for an offense that has made a huge leap this season. The Pats have the largest improvement in scoring offense by any team with a new offensive play caller since the 2016-17 Rams, averaging over 11 points more per game this year than last (Sean McVay took LA up nearly 16 PPG).
“Just a relentless finish,” Stevenson said when asked what he wants from the offense going forward. “Finish the season how we’ve been playing.”
COWBOYS CUT BAIT
Interesting week for another of the Diggs brothers.
Trevon Diggs, who signed a $97 million extension with the Cowboys in 2023, was released by Dallas on the same day as the news broke about Stefon. He never seemed to be a good fit for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ system (more on that in a second), but the issues went beyond that.
Diggs didn’t rehab a knee injury to the team’s specifications for two straight offseasons, also violating some language in his contract. The team exercised its right to enforce a $500K de-escalator, which increased tensions between the two sides. Then the Cowboys traded his best friend, Micah Parsons, which gave Diggs another excuse to operate on his own timetable (the Packers claimed Diggs, so those two chums are reunited).
The veteran cornerback did play in the first six games of this season before suffering another knee injury, and then had an accident in his home and missed time with a concussion because of it. Diggs thought he would be activated sooner, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters he “wanted to see more in practice.” That went over about as well as you think it would.
“I don’t know the special requirements that I need to show that I can play,” Diggs said after that revelation. “I’ve been at practice. I’ve been practicing well, running around, doing what I’m supposed to. It’s not my decision, at the end of the day. We just have to wait and see.”
Diggs had signed a five-year extension with the team back in 2023 worth upwards of $97 million. His performance this season has been poor. Opposing quarterbacks have a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting the former two-time Pro Bowler.
As for Eberflus, no defense has allowed more PPG (29.8) and only a pair have surrendered more YPG (376.8). Owner Jerry Jones has been critical of his DC, and it is expected that he will fire Eberflus after his only season with the club. However, Jones correctly pointed out this week that there’s more to the team’s failings than just one coach.
“Make no mistake about it, everybody had their finger in what we did out there defensively,” Jones said. “Everybody. It’s not just a one-man blame at all. I say that because therein lies what you have to sit down and figure out, what, if anything, you want to change. We’ll get to that pronto. Everybody involved in this thing, I’m sure, has been thinking ahead about how to adjust out of our results this year.
“The main thing in football is that it is rare when you have one coach or one player that is the cause or the solution to the problem. That’s the main thing I’d like to emphasize to anybody listening. We’re trying to solve the problem and try to get better where we are. One guy is not going to do that.”
The Cowboys did have a terrific three-game stretch after acquiring Quinnen Williams, but since then, they haven’t been able to stop on nosebleed with a box of tissues and a six-pack of toilet paper.
DON’T LOOK NOW...
But the New Orleans Saints may have found their franchise quarterback.
Since taking over for Spencer Rattler, all second-round pick Tyler Shough has done is win five of his eight starts, including four in a row. He is also just the third rookie to throw for 250 or more yards in three straight games, joining Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott. That he’s done all this with a roster that has dealt with a slew of key injuries (RB Alvin Kamara, C Erik McCoy, RT Taliese Fuaga) and traded away its second-best wide receiver (Rashid Shaheed) makes it even more impressive
"We're here for a reason, we're going to go out there and operate," Shough said. "There's no, 'Oh man, if we had this, or this is a good opponent.' Let's go out there and play football, man. This is why you do it. And that's kind of my message. What a great opportunity. Next man up, now you get to go make plays and everybody stepped up. Everybody did."
"When the moment comes, you've got to make a play," WR Chris Olave said of Shough. "And he's done that every single time. He delivered every single time this year. And it's not really much to say. I feel like when the opportunity presents itself, he's making the play every time. So you can't really teach that. He's a winner, what I've seen. So I can't wait to build around this. ... I'm looking forward to the future."
Shough’s journey has been remarkable. He spent seven seasons in college, first at Oregon, then at Texas Tech, and finally, Louisville. He was productive in all spots, but a series of season-ending injuries (collarbone, shoulder, leg) dulled his star some. Still, at 26, he was the third quarterback drafted this spring, and the Saints seem quite pleased with their decision.
“His steadiness is really special,” head coach Kellen Moore said. “I think it’s really important when you play quarterback in this league. There are a lot of hard downs. You’re not going to convert every single one of them. Your ability to go from one to the next and take advantage of the opportunity presented. He’s made some big-time plays.”
CAN RODGERS DELIVER?
The AFC North will come down to Sunday night’s primetime game in Pittsburgh between the Ravens and Steelers. It seemed unlikely after Baltimore blew a double-digit lead to the Patriots two weeks ago, but Aaron Rodgers' team seemed more focused on not letting Myles Garrett break the sack record and lost to the Browns, 13-6, setting the stage for a winner-take-all game.
"I've been a part of a locker room the last couple years where you get to December and you start talking about your offseason plans, where you'll be, your travel plans. That's not a whole lot of fun," Rodgers said mid-week. "You want to be in here talking about the game, talking about meaningful snaps, talking about doing something special. And it starts with this week against Baltimore."
Rodgers had one of his better games of the season just a few weeks ago against these Ravens, throwing for 284 yards in a 27-22 win as the Steelers surged to the head of the division. But the 42-year-old got back on the roller coaster ride in Cleveland. He had just 168 yards, no touchdowns, and his second-lowest passer rating of the year (64.9). Rodgers will have to bounce back without D.K. Metcalf, who will serve the second game of his two-game suspension for his altercation with a fan in Detroit.
"You've seen my career; I don't have a lot of stinkers back-to-back over the years," he said. "So, it's the same mindset every week, same approach, just expect greatness. When it doesn't happen, you don't shift up the plan. You just keep on going and trust the process."
In this case, Rodgers is telling the truth. He has rebounded from all three of his subpar performances this year and, over his career, has recorded 10 wins in his last 11 games after posting a pass rating of 70 or less.
"That's one of the things that made him really attractive to us: that can-do attitude, the experience and résumé that goes along with it," Mike Tomlin said. "I don't think it's work for him. I think it's as natural as breathing, and so if he's breathing, I expect to see that from him as we lean in on this game."
The Steelers' defense will have to face Lamar Jackson. He missed last weekend’s win with a back contusion suffered in the loss to the Patriots. Jackson has had his first full week of practice since early November.
“I feel great right now,” he said.
There has been plenty of speculation around Jackson and his relationship with the Ravens over the last week or so, including a report that the quarterback falls asleep in team meetings. In his first comments since, the two-time MVP refuted that.
"Do you think (John) Harbaugh would let me fall asleep in meetings?" Jackson said. "That's crazy. I'm right in the front. It's just noise."
With his salary cap number jumping to $74.5 million next year - likely untenable - reporters went so far as to ask Jackson whether he wanted to remain in Baltimore.
“Absolutely,” he insisted repeatedly, while also disputing that he and Harbaugh are not on good terms.
"I don't know where the noise came from."
Jackson can quiet all that by returning to the level he played at over the first month of the season (when he was healthy) and getting the Ravens back into the playoffs. Then the conversation will shift to whether or not he can deliver in the second season. Jackson is 3-5 as a starter in the postseason.
NERD NUMBERS
- The Patriots' opponents have won 38% of their games in 2025. That would be the 2nd lowest strength of schedule by any team in a season since 1980, behind the 1999 Rams (.363). The 1999 Rams finished 13-3, QB Kurt Warner was named MVP in his 2nd NFL season, and they defeated the Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV.
- Rookie LB Carson Schwesinger (2nd Rd, #33 ovr) leads Browns with 146 tackles (7th in NFL) and leads all rookies in tackles and TFL (11).
- C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans are the 4th QB-head coach duo in NFL history to make the playoffs in each of their first 3 career seasons. Others: IND Andrew Luck and Chuck Pagano, BAL Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh, and the Hall of Fame duo Otto Graham and Paul Brown for the 1946-1948 repeat champion Browns.
- The Colts started the season 7-1, 8-2, and are now 8-8 (lost 6 straight since Wk 11 bye). The 1995 Raiders (started 8-2, finished 8-8) are currently the only team in NFL history to win 8 of their first 10 games and finish .500 or worse.
- Trevor Lawrence’s 35 total TDs are 3rd-most in the NFL. Lawrence needs 248+ pass yards and 1+ rushing TD to join 2023 Josh Allen and 2011 Cam Newton as the only players in NFL history to have 4,000+ passing yards and 10+ rushing TDs in a season.
- The Packers have allowed 400+ total yards in each of the 2 games since Micah Parsons was placed on IR prior to Week 16 (GB allowed just 294.6 total YPG from Weeks 1-15).
- The Jets have 10+ losses for the 6th straight season (longest active streak). They have not made the playoffs since 2010 (the NFL’s longest active drought).
- Caleb Williams could become the 3rd QB drafted #1 overall to win 12+ games in his 2nd season, joining Peyton Manning in 1999 and John Elway in 1984 (no rookie #1 QB has done so).
- Since being drafted in 2016, Joe Thuney has played for a division winner in 9 of his 10 seasons (played for the 2020 NE team that went 7-9 in 1st season without Tom Brady). Thuney was voted to his 4th consecutive Pro Bowl in 2025 and is a 4x Super Bowl champion. The Hall of Fame seems like a foregone conclusion at this point.
- Denver's Zach Allen leads the NFL with 45 QB hits in 2025 (led NFL with 40 QB hits in 2024). J.J. Watt (4) is the only other player with multiple seasons of 40+ QB hits since they were first tracked in 2006 (the rest of the NFL has 3 combined such seasons).